Improvement in decarbonizing clay retorts



G.' W. EDGE.

Gas Ret-ort.

Patented Sept. 19, 1865.

Inventor.

f4 Y g f? e@ poses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE W. EDGE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEVY JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN DECARBONIZING CLAY RETORTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,989, dated September 19, 1865.

To all whom fit may concern Be it known that I, G. W. EDGE, ot' Jersey Gity,in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful- Improvement in DecarbonizingRetorts5 and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the aocolnpanying dra-wings, forming part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l represents a transverse vertical section of this invention, taken in the planeindicated by the line a' a', Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe same, the line yy, Fig. 3, indicating,` the plane otsection. Fig. 3 isa plan or top view ot' the same.

Similar letters ofret'erenceindicate like parts.

This invention consists in the employment ot' a current of air Inixed with steam for the purpose ot' decarbonizing` retorts, particularly clay I'etorts, such as generally used for manu- 'acturing illuminating-gas and for other pur- Such retorts are liable to absorb a quantity of carbon, and a larg-e quantity of carbon or soot adheres to their inner surface, particularly toward the back. lf this soot or carbon is not removed, thc retort is liable to crack, and it becomes useless after ashort time.

The device or apparatus which I use for the purpose of decarbonizing` retorts is a simple steam-blower. It consists ot' an air-pipe, A,

with a funnel-shaped mouth-piece, a, and a steam-pipe, B,` which extends transversely through the funnel-shaped mouth-piece, and from which a nozzle, b, extends in the direction ot` the axis ofthe air-pipe, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ot the drawings.

The air-pipe A passes through a suitable hole in the head of the retort; or a supplementary head may be provided, which can be attached to the mouth of the retort in place ot' the regular head, and if steam is injected through the pipe B, the current issuing` troni the nozzle b causes a dralt-in the air-pipe, and a mixture ot' stealn and air rushes into thc retort. In its passage through the pipe A this mixture is highly heated, and when it comes in contact with the carbon or soot adhering;` to the inner surl'ace ofthe retort it decomposes the saine, so that it passes ott' in the form of gas, and the retort is cleaned and rendered as good as new.

The air-pipe A, in its course through the retort, can be supported simply by placing bricks under the same at suitable intervals, and it is intended to be made in sections, so that itcan be lengthened or shortened according,` to the spot where they mixture ot' steam and air is to take action. l do not wish to contine myself, however, to any particular apparatus for the purpose ot'producine` the mixture ot' air and steam, but reserve the right to change the same ns circumstances may make desirable.

I claim as new and. desire to secuic by Letters PatentrEhe use ot' a mixture ot' steam and air produced by means substantially suoli as herein described, or any other equivalent means, and injected into a retort for the purpose otl decarbonization, as set t'orth.

The above specication ot my invention signed by me this 14th day ot' August, 1865.

GEO. W. EDGE. Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, C. L. ToPLIEE. 

